So, I got stuck thinking about Colorado versus Cincinnati the other day. Don’t ask me why, maybe just saw the names pop up somewhere and it got me curious. I figured, instead of just reading what others say, I’d try to figure it out myself, you know, hands-on, see what I could actually dig up and make sense of.
My Little Project
First thing I did was sit down at my computer. Thought I’d start simple: look at their records, maybe head-to-head if they even played recently, or common opponents. Just get the basic numbers down. Seemed like a logical place to start, right?
Well, that didn’t take long to get complicated. Just looking at wins and losses felt kinda hollow. Team A beats Team X by 30, Team B beats Team X by 10. Doesn’t automatically mean Team A is way better, could be weather, injuries, dumb luck. The raw numbers weren’t really giving me a clear picture, just a jumble.
Okay, plan B. I decided I needed to actually see them play. Not watching full games back-to-back, obviously. I ain’t got that kind of time. So I started hunting for highlight reels, maybe some condensed game replays from the last couple of seasons. Tried to find stuff that showed more than just touchdowns.
- I tried focusing on the line play. Were they getting pushed around? Opening holes?
- Looked at the quarterbacks. Did they look calm? Did they have time? Or were they just scrambling constantly?
- Tried to gauge the defense too. Were they hitting hard? Getting pressure? Or just chasing receivers all day?
What Actually Happened
Honestly? It was kinda tough. Highlight reels are designed to look good. You don’t always see the sloppy plays, the bad penalties, the times the offense went three-and-out for a whole quarter. It’s skewed, you know?
And I kept getting sidetracked. I’d be watching a Colorado clip, then somehow end up watching some random Utah game from three years back. Same thing with Cincinnati, suddenly I’m down a rabbit hole of Big 12 matchups. Spent more time clicking around than actually comparing.
Made some scribbled notes on a pad next to me. Stuff like “Colorado QB looks fast” or “Cincy D-line seems solid”. Pretty basic observations, nothing groundbreaking. Felt like I was just stating the obvious most of the time.
After a couple of hours of this, clicking and watching bits and pieces, I leaned back. Did I have a definitive answer on Colorado vs Cincinnati? Nope. Not really.
The whole exercise kinda showed me how much changes year to year, game to game. Coaching styles shift, key players leave, new guys come in. Trying to make a simple comparison based on easily available stuff felt… well, kinda pointless.
So, what did I achieve with my “practice”? I guess I reminded myself that looking from the outside, based on stats and highlights, doesn’t give you the full story. There’s way more going on inside those programs. It takes real deep dives, way more than a casual afternoon allows, to get a proper feel. Ended up just watching a bunch of football clips, which wasn’t a terrible way to spend time, but didn’t make me an expert overnight either. Lesson learned, I guess.